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Boston Marathon Suspect Killed: City Shuts Down As Police Hunt For Second Suspect Following Watertown Shootout

Much of Boston has shut down Friday as police search for a second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing after the first suspect was reportedly killed in a shootout in Watertown early Friday.

The incident started with a shooting of a Transit Police officer. Shortly afterward, police reported a robbery at a convenience story near MIT, and a campus police officer was shot and killed.

Two men believed to the be Boston Marathon bombing suspects then carjacked a Mercedes at gunpoint, proceeding to Watertown where they engaged in a shootout with police, authorities say. There were also explosions reported in Watertown and reports of explosive devices left around the area.

During the Watertown shootout, the Boston Marathon suspect #1 was wounded by a combination of gunshots and explosions and brought to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 1:35 am.

“We believe these are the same individuals that were responsible for the bombing Monday at the Marathon,” State Police Colonel Timothy Alben said today. “We believe that they are responsible for the death of an MIT police officer and the shooting of an MBTA police officer. This is a very serious situation that we are dealing with.”

The manhunt for the remaining Boston Marathon suspect — the one pictured with a white baseball hat — led to massive shutdowns, including MBTA’s entire network of mass transportation. Police also asked anyone living in Watertown, Waltham, Newton, Belmont, Cambridge, and Allston-Brighton to stay home and for businesses in those cities and towns not to open on Friday.

“We are asking you to stay indoors, to stay in your homes for the time being,” said Kurt Schwartz, head of Boston’s homeland security department. “We are asking business in those areas to cooperate and not open today until we can provide further guidance.”

Police said the matter was urgent.

“We have an emergency. We cannot proceed until we take care of that emergency,” Transit Police Lt. Manes Cadet said in a phone interview with the Boston Globe.

The announcement came as a shock to many people, who were stranded at bus stops and subway stations. Schwartz told them to go home and not have anyone congregating in the city.

The manhunt for the Boston Marathon suspect also brought closures at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Emerson College, and Boston College.

Police later announced that transportation out of the region — including Amtrak train service — was also shut down as police tried to prevent the remaining bombing suspect to escape.

Police warned that the remaining Boston Marathon suspect is considered very dangerous. They believe he is the one who actually dropped the bombs at the race on Monday.

“We believe this to be a terrorist,” Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said. “We believe this to be a man here to kill people.”

The killing of the first Boston Marathon suspect and manhunt for the second Boston Marathon suspect comes only hours after the FBI released images of the two believed responsible for the attacks.